Why Is Proactive Training Better Than Reactive Training?

As the saying goes, “your people are your most important asset.” It’s why investing in them through training makes business sense. Study after study shows that when you do, you increase morale and confidence, as well as productivity and profits.

However, for most companies, their training is solely reactive, not proactive. Reactive training simply means that the training is performed after an accident, mistake, or incident has occurred. For example, a company might hold a safety training refresher course if an employee gets injured while on the job.

Proactive training, on the other hand, can help prevent these kinds of issues in the first place. In essence, it is a process that enables you to better equip your employees with the skills and knowledge they need ahead of time to avoid mistakes, accidents, injuries, and other unwanted events. 

Another benefit of proactive training is that it allows you to take a long-term look at the training needs of your employees. Reactive training is often a knee-jerk reaction to a problem that’s already occurred. You’re essentially putting out fires with it. While it certainly has its place and is necessary at times, when you take a proactive approach, you’re also looking at the big picture needs of your workforce. By taking the time to develop a more strategic plan for employee development, you’ll be improving productivity, not to mention your competitive edge.

Also, having a proactive training program in place provides you with peace of mind. You know that workers are trained for many different scenarios, offering you a greater sense of control. You won’t be responding to a crisis but rather strategizing and preparing to solve problems before they happen. Freedom from putting out fires will also give you more time to devote to other priorities. 

That said, it’s not always possible to predict every challenge and issue that will arise. In addition, when it comes to proactive training, the topics often center around hypotheticals, not real-life scenarios, as with reactive training. Reactive training is, therefore, necessary to protect against problems in the future. 

Need help finding well-trained employees for your team? 

Gill Staffing can help. As one of Grand Rapids’ top staffing agencies, we have the skilled, well-trained, and safety-conscious workers you need. Call us today to learn more!